National Archives (UK)

The National Archives is a British Governmental organisation created in April 2003. It claims to have "one of the largest archival collections in the world, spanning 1000 years of British history, from the Domesday Book to government papers recently released to the public".

Related Topics:
British Government - April - 2003 - British history - Domesday Book

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It was created by the combining of the Public Record Office and the Historical Manuscripts Commission (for earlier history, see the article on the Public Record Office) and is an Executive Agency reporting to the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The current Chief Executive (formally Keeper of the Public Records and Historical Manuscripts Commissioner) is Sarah Tyacke CB. Mrs Tyacke will be retiring in autumn 2005 and Natalie Ceeney, currently director of operations at the British Library, has been appointed to replace her.

Related Topics:
Public Record Office - Historical Manuscripts Commission - Executive Agency - Department for Constitutional Affairs - CB - Natalie Ceeney - British Library

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It is institutional policy to include the definite article — with an initial capital letter — in its name (hence "The National Archives", abbreviated as TNA) but this practice is rarely followed in the media.

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The main building of The National Archives is at Kew in west London, and the Family Records Centre is in Islington in central London. Both sites are open to the general public.

Related Topics:
Kew - Family Records Centre - Islington

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The material held at Kew includes the following:

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• Documents from the bentral courts of law including the King's Bench, the Court of Common Pleas, the Central Criminal Court, Assizes, and Equity courts from the twelfth century onwards.
• Medieval records of central and local government.
• A large and disparate collection of maps, plans and architectural drawings.
• Records for family historians including wills, naturalisation certificates and criminal records.
• Service and operational records of the armed forces.
• Foreign Office and Colonial Office correspondence and files.
• Records of the modern central government departments.
• Cabinet papers and Home Office records.
• Statistics of the Board of Trade.
• The National Register of Archives, which holds detailed catalogues of all kinds of records relating to British history held elsewhere.
• The Manorial Documents Register, which notes the existence and location of manorial records in England and Wales.

There is also a museum, which displays key documents such as the Domesday Book and stages a programme of exhibitions.

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In early July 2005 an article in the Daily Telegraph claimed that certain TNA documents relating to the death of Heinrich Himmler had been faked. An internal investigation revealed that five documents were indeed forgeries and TNA declared its intention to review security procedures in the light of this knowledge.

Related Topics:
2005 - Daily Telegraph - Heinrich Himmler

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There is a separate National Archives of Scotland (formerly the Scottish Record Office), which holds government and private documents relating to Scotland. A similar institution in Northern Ireland is the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).

Related Topics:
National Archives of Scotland - Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

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